Re: Add Code of Conduct (issue 575620043 by address@hidden)

[David Kastrup]

Kieren MacMillan <address@hidden> writes:

> Hi James,
>
>> I am still struggling to understand the point of a COC for the LP
>> project, other than some kind of ... what is the term ... virtue
>> signalling or something that a project does *after* someone says
>> something that happens to be offensive to someone else - which is
>> just, life isn't it?
>> Really. What is the point?
>
> Disclaimer: I’m on the fence about having a CoC.
>
> That being said, I think the point is this: if you *are* "being an
> arse to someone", there is something concrete people can point to that
> says "you said you wouldn’t be an arse". Does a "No Smoking" sign stop
> someone from smoking? No. But it allows the police to write that
> person a ticket, and potentially escalate if the person continues to
> contravene the "code".

The problem with an approach focused on punishment and expulsion is that
it helps isolating and eventually ostracizing bad actors, limiting the
total damage they may cause.

Fortunately, that has not been a significantly problem on the LilyPond
mailing list.

Unfortunately, things are not all lilies and roses either, but
addressing that seems to call for a somewhat different angle of attack.
I have no good idea.

-- 
David Kastrup